Machine for curling chenille



April 30, 1963 Filed April 4. 1960 P. F. SAPILEVSKY ETAL MACHINE FOR CURLING CHENILLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 April 30, 1963 P. F. sAPxLEvsKY ETAL 3,037,225

MACHINE FOR CURLING CHENILLE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 4, 1960 April 30, 1963 P. F. sAPlLEvSKY ETAL 3,087,225

MACHINE FOR CURLING CHENILLE 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 l Filed April 4, 1960 United Sttes The invention relates to a machine for -curling chenille.

arent O The already known chenille curling machines consisting of unrolling arbors, horizontal rotating curling tubes heated with electric elements and of a Winding mechanism, are of comparatively low capacity and do not ensure a uniform heating of the curling tubes an-d an accurate control of the curling process, which unfavourably influences the quality of obtained products.

The chenille curling machine, according to the present invention, is free from these defects.

lts main feature `is that it is provided with a drawing mechanism, and the curling tubes are mounted together with electric heating elements inside a horizontal hermetically sealed vessel filled with a high-boiling point heat transferring liquid. By means of a pump, secured on the exterior face -of the vessel, the heat transferring liquid is constantly circulated in a closed circuit and at the ysame time serves as a lubricant for the tube bearings.

For ensuring a constant tensioning of the curled chenille and its automatic distribution on the reels, the winding mechanism is made in the form of parallel driving shafts with rolls interacting by friction with the flanges of reels freely rotatably upon removable rods, the number of said driving rolls `and reels being in accordance with the number of curling tubes.

The drawing mechanism is installed at a lower level than the container and curling tubes Land is made in the form of a multistepped rubber-covered rotating roller, interacting with and engaging a train of rollers freely rotatable on a spring-loaded shaft, mounted parallel to the multi-stepped roller.

Further objects :and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in oonjunction with the accompanying drawing wherein:

FIG. 1 is a view in perspective showing a chenille curling machine constructed in accordance with this invention;

FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2 2 of FIG. 3 and showing in detail the curling tubes mounted in the container, the liquid heat transfer medium, the liquid heating elements, .as Well as the means for receiving liquid escaping through the bearings; and

FIG. 3 a sectional View taken substantially on the line 3 3 of FIG. 2 and showing further details of the container, the curling tubes mounted therein, the liquid rnedium heating elements and the means for re-circulating the liquid.

Within the interior of a sealed or closed vessel or container 1 4are mounted, several, in the present instance four, horizontally disposed, rotatable curling tubes 2. The opposite ends of these tubes protrude through the front and rear walls of the vessel 1 and bearings 25 rotatably support the tubes. The vessel is filled with a high-boiling point liquid heat transfer medium 22, for example, mineral oil. This liquid heat transfer medium is heated by electric heating elements 23 mounted in a -cavity 24 in the vessel. Thus, in effect, vessel 1 had a double bottom. On the front and rear walls of the vessel 1 lare Xed collecting tanks 3, which collect the heat transfer medium flowing through the bearings 25 that support the curling tubes. The liquid, therefore, simultaneously Patented Apr. 30, 1963 serves as a lubricant for these bearings, as well as for transferring heat to the tubes 2. The heat transfer medium is circulated from the collecting tanks or receiving means 3, through a channel or passageway 26 to the pipe line 4 and pump 5.

The drawing mechanism is made in form of a multistepped rubber-covered positively rotated drawing roller 6, interacting with and engaging the pressure rollers 7 freely rotatable on va spring-loaded shaft 8, mounted parallel to the roller 6. The strands of chenille may be selectively engaged with the stepped surfaces of the drawing roller 6 and pressure roller 7 to vary the speed of travel of the strands through the apparatus much in the Way that the speed of a belt is varied by engaging pulleys of different diameters.

The winding mechanism consists of several (four in the present case) parallel driving -shafts 9 with rolls 10, which frictionally engage with the ilanges 11 of reels 12, rotatably mounted on the rods 13. The latter t0- gether with the reels may be freely removed from the 4machine and are inserted through the slots 14 in the machine frames.

For the distribution of curled chen-ille coming from the curling tubes 2 through drawing mechanism and being Wound on reels 12 there is provided slide 15 with chenille guides 16 which are reciprocated along the reels 12 upon guide rails 17 by means of a spring-loaded lever 18.

Behind the machine on the frame thereof are located the unrolling arbors 19 with the chenille 20.

The curling .tubes 2, as well as the drawing and winding mechanisms are actuated from the electric motor 21. The chenille 20, unrolling from the arbors 19 passes through the curling tubes 2, Where it is curled. By reason of the fact that the tubes are not directly heated by the electric elements, but are heated by the liquid heat transfer medium, the temperature may be accurately controlled as required by the properties of the chenille fibers. The :speed with Which the -chenille passes through the tubes is adjusted by the drawing mechanism by threading the chenille into one or the other step of roller 6.

This mak-es it possible to regulate the curling process and thus to obtain a better quality of curled chenille and to increase machine eiciency. Following the drawing mechanism the chenille passes through the chenille guide 16 and is distributed over the length of the appropriate reel 12, rotated by the rolls 1Gy on the shaft 9. By reason of the friction drive 10i, 11 as the diameter of the chenille on the reel 12 increases the reel slips so that a constant tensioning of the curled chenille is ensured.

It will be obvious .to those skilled in the art that various changes may be made in the invention without departing from the spirit and scope thereof and therefore the invention is not limited by that which is shown in the drawing and described in the specification, but only as indicated in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. A machine `for curling chenille comprising a frame, a closed container mounted on the upper portion of said frame, a plurality of curling tubes rotatably mounted in bearings in said -container and projecting from opposite sides thereof, a liquid heat transfer medium in said container said liquid serving simultaneously as a lubricant for said rotatably mounted curling tubes, electric heating elements disposed in the lower portion of said container for heating said liquid medium, means for receiving liquid escaping through said bearings, means for 1re-circulating liquid from said receiving means through sai-d container in a closed circuit in contact with said tubes, supply means for feeding chenille strands to said tubes, variable speed drawing mechanism for `drawing said strands through said tubes, Winding mechanism for receiving said strands from said drawing mechanism and means to drive said tubes, said drawing mechanism and said winding mechanism, whereby rotation of said tubes in engagement with said strands will serve to heat said strands and curl the same.

2. A machine for curling chenille as defined in claim 1 in which said winding mechanism comprises a flanged treel for each tube, said reels being rotatably mounted on rods removably carried by said frame, drive shafts rotatably mounted `on said frame parallel to -said .reels and `drive rolls on said shafts frictionally engaging the iianges of said reels.

3. A mach-ine for curling chenille as defined in claim 1 in which said drawing mechanism comprises a driven multi-diameter stepped rubber covered drawing roller rotatably mounted on said frame, a lcooperating multi-diameter stepped pressure roller rotatably mounted on said frame and means for yieldably urging said pressure roller into engagement with said drawing roller, whereby said strands may be selectively engaged with the steps of said drawing and pressure rollers to vary the speed of travel of said strands.

References Cited in the ile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Broder June 4, 1940 Unger Mar. 10, 1942 Benn Jan. 2l, 1958 

1. A MACHINE FOR CURLING CHENILLE COMPRISING A FRAME, A CLOSED CONTAINER MOUNTED ON THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID FRAME, A PLURALITY OF CURLING TUBES ROTATABLY MOUNTED IN BEARINGS IN SAID CONTAINER AND PROJECTING FROM OPPOSITE SIDES THEREOF, A LIQUID HEAT TRANSFER MEDIUM IN SAID CONTAINER SAID LIQUID SERVING SIMULTANEOUSLY AS A LUBRICANT FOR SAID ROTATABLY MOUNTED CURLING TUBES, ELECTRIC HEATING ELEMENTS DISPOSED IN THE LOWER PORTION OF SAID CONTAINER FOR HEATING SAID LIQUID MEDIUM, MEANS FOR RECEIVING LIQUID ESCAPING THROUGH SAID BEARINGS, MEANS FOR RE-CIRCULATING LIQUID FROM SAID RECEIVING MEANS THROUGH SAID CONTAINER IN A CLOSED CIRCUIT IN CONTACT WITH SAID TUBES, SUPPLY MEANS FOR FEEDING CHENILLE STRANDS TO SAID 